Woodland Christian Class of 2012 has 'stellar character'

Values, a strong sense of moral integrity and an enduring faith in God will be the primary lessons carried through life by the graduates of Woodland Christian High School.

Although the faculty, staff, board members and families outnumbered the 16 members of the Class of 2012, the students expressed a degree of optimism and enthusiasm for the challenges of the future perhaps little felt by their peers at traditional schools.

It was the 11th graduating class for the small school.

Valedictorian Alayna Campos referenced words by Albert Einstein that the quality of a person is not demonstrated by his intelligence but by his character and set of values.

"I have met people with integrity, honesty and humility," at Woodland Christian, Campos told the nearly 200 attending the ceremony held in the Main Exhibition Hall of the Yolo County Fairgrounds. "I know they are people of character."

Campos, who is graduating with a 4.25 grade point average and is a member of the National Honor Society, said people probably expected her to talk about wishing everyone success and all the best as they traveled through "life ... blah, blah, blah."

But Campos said people should measure success by different standards.

"Because I find value in them, I know God finds value in them," Campos said of her fellow students. She said the people she has known for years and with who she was graduating could all be counted on to demonstrate "God's passion" as they traveled through life.

"We have developed stellar character" at Woodland Christian, Campos continued, "and we will take that with us ... and because we are people of character that will ensure our success."

Saturday's ceremony was marred somewhat by the absence of Principal Lisa Pielstick, who was not present due to an undiagnosed illness. Pielstick, however, sent a letter to the graduates praising their accomplishments, expressing a bit of fear for her own future, but confidence in the future of students. She also reminded them that "God loves you."

Salutatorian Abbey Mast, who has attended preschool through 12th grade at Woodland Christian, credited Pielstick, faculty, staff and her fellow students with instilling a strong sense of morality in her.

Mast, who is graduating with honors and is also a member of the National Honor Society, told the story of how she and some friends one time took a car to leave the campus even though it wasn't allowed. She and her friends "were gone for five minutes" and felt so guilty about it that they turned themselves in and later had to serve detention.

"We were gone for five minutes and felt guilty for the rest of the day," she said, noting that strong sense of "doing right" will remain with students for years to come.

"We know what doing the right thing is," she said. "It's a matter of doing the right thing."

She urged students to remember the moral lessons learned at Woodland Christian and to "take them with you in life."